Protective display wrapping



J. SCHUCHAT I PROTECTIVE DISPLAY WRAPPING Filed Aug. 9, 1937 2Sheets-Sheet 1 June 13, 1939.

June 13, 1939.v J. SCHUCHAT PROTECTIVE DISPLAY WRAPPING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed Aug. 9, 1937 allow D00 (fond/.5 SW6,

Patented June 1 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,162,644 PROTECTIVEDISPLAY WRAPPING Jonas Schuchat, Chicago, Ill.

Application August 9,

2 Claims.

This invention relates to protector packages; for pies, cakes,confections and other commodities, its general object being the:provision of an improved display package construction for receiving andenclosing a commodity on a suitable plate or tray, whereby the commoditymay be handled and stacked without resultant injury.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of an improveddisplay wrapper with means for quickly and easily applying and holding acover of Cellophane or other transparent material over the commodityenclosed by the wrapper.

A further object of the invention is to provide 151 a package includinga protecting collar or band provided with a central longitudinallyextending deformable portion for resiliently and frictionallyengagingthe periphery of carriers and articles whereby said carriers andarticles are supported 20. in a suspended manner so as-to protect thecommodities in handling, stacking and shipment.

A further object is to provide a pastry wrapping for pics and the likewhich can beeconomically produced and which can be easily associated 25.by frictional engagement with the commodity to-be packaged allowingventilation for the commodity and consequent protection from rancidity.

Other and further objectsof the invention .will be pointed out orindicated hereinafter, or will be apparent to one skilled in. the .artand upon an understanding of the invention as hereinafter described.

Commercial wrapping or perishable commodities-has presenteddifiicultiesfor such wrappings, to be successful, must be of aprotective character so as to minimize the chance of injury in handling,stacking, shipping and displaying the commodity. In packaging pies,other pastries, and food products, there have been developed severalprotective packages utilizing'surrounding collars or bands designed toprevent contact of the commodity with foreign agencies in the-generalhandling necessary inthe course of distribution.

The present invention contemplates'asimplified food package andv wrapperwhich can be combined with relatively standard paper plates and: traysand which employs a protecting element. providedwith an annular weakenedportion defined by scoring and spaced vertical slits so that it iscapable of outward bending. in bellows form to receive frictionallytherewithin the commodity and carrier, or. in some cases the commodityitself.

1937, Serial No. 158,248

cation there are illustrated certain examples and modifications whichwill serve to explain the practice of the invention, but it is to beunderstood that these are' presented for purposes of illustration merelyand are not to be construed in any fashion calculated to limit theappended claims short of the true and most comprehensive scope of theinvention in the art.

Referring in particular to the accompanying drawings, wherein likereference numerals represent like parts throughout the several figures,-

Fig. 1 is a top view of a package in accordance with the invention witha pie enclosed'therein.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the lines 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the outer supporting band or collar ofthe package.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the supporting band of- Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is avertical section showing a modification of the supportingband and carrier.

Fig. 6 is a top View partly in section of a modified form of package.

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view on the lines 1-! of Fig. 6.

Having particular reference to Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings, l indicatesa commodity supporting plate of conventional form having thereon a pie 2covered by a Cellophane or other transparent sheet 3, which overlies theedge portions of the commodity and carrier. These elements are enclosedand suspended within a polygonal band or collar 4, which receives theplate, pie and cover therewithin with the peripheral flange of thecarrier and the overlying commodity and cover engaging in an angulardeformed portion of the band intermediate its upper and lower edges. Thesupporting commodity carriers may be ofpaper stock or the like and theirperipheral flanges or edge portions have a yielding char acteristicadapting them for cooperation with the supporting band in assembling theparts.

The band or collar 4 may be formed of a strip of relatively heavydistortable paper stock having its ends connected by stapling or gluingto form the joint 5. The band is of greater height than the overallheight of the plate and commodity to be enclosed therein. Atregularintervals throughout its length the band is vertically scored, asat 6, to facilitate folding on the lines of scoring to provide anoctagonal structure having straight side wallsintermediate the verticalscoring. Vertical slits I are provided through intermediate portions ofthe band at the lines of vertical scoring and the 'bandisprovided-throughout its length in a substantially central portion withspaced parallel score lines 8 to provide in cooperation with the centralslits extending between the outer score lines a deformable horizontalcentral portion 9 in the band which may be caused to bend under pressureapplied to the band edges outwardly of the band in a bellows fold todefine inner recesses III for cooperation with the outwardly extendingflange ll of the pie plate, the overlying pie portions and thetransparent cover. The band member is collapsible into double strip formto facilitate transportation and handling, and due to its octagonalshape when applied to a commodity and holder in package form it willreadily permit stacking of the packages without damage to commoditiestherein. The height of the band being substantially greater than that ofthe enclosed holder, the shipment and handling of commodities in thesepackages either in stacked condition or otherwise is made possiblewithout injury to the contents because the plate and the commoditycarried thereby is in suspended position within the deformable part ofthe collar in such a way as to be out of contact with adjacent andsurrounding agencies.

The Cellophane sheet 3 may be plain or it may be provided with suitableprinting or decoration. The sheet is somewhat larger than the pie andplate support so that the edges of the sheet can extend downwardly overthe laterally extending plate flange and edges of the pie overlying theflange.

In using the invention for packaging pies, the transparent sheet is madeto overlie the pie and plate support. The improved collar member is heldin open position centrally above the plate and covered contents and thenfrom this position it is forced downwardly around the edges of the pieand supporting plate, thus causing the edge portions of the transparentcover sheet to extend downwardly and about the peripheral flange of thecarrier plates. The collar is forced downwardly with relation to theplate to a position wherein the outwardly directed flange of the plateand the overlying portion of pie crust thereon with its coveringregisters with the central weakened deformable portion of the band,whereat the band portion will spring into its normal octagonal shapewith peripheral portions of the plate, pie and covering housed withinthe inner recesses formed by the outwardly extending bellows foldprovided by the horizontal scoring and vertical slits. In the packagingoperation, the octagonal shape of the collar and the natural resiliencyof the paper stock allows the same to be distorted into a more circularform to provide passage over the pie and carrier plate until theseelements engage within the bellows fold intermediate the top and bottomof the collar by a snap action caused by the tendency of the band toreturn to its polygonal form. 1

The longitudinal or horizontal parallel scorings and the spaced slits atthe corners between outer score lines provide for the annular bellowsfold. Vertical thrust on the edges of the collar produces the outwardbending in the form of straight bellows folds between slits in the bandat the corners. These folds follow the score lines and define innerrecesses having yielding walls for frictional supporting engagement withplates or other carriers to be suspended within the collar. In producingthe spaced bellows folds the height of band is slightly decreased butits'overall height is sufiicient to provide supporting suspension.

It is to be noted that the circular carrier or plate contacts thesupporting band or carrier in the recesses formed by the bellows fold inthe straight side portions of the band. This arrangement provides forthe use of standard paper plates and receptacles and allows ventilationat the corners formed between adjacent side portions of the bandsupport. The commodity may be removed from the wrapper by merelyreversing the operation of applying the band, after which the contentsmay be taken from the supporting member for use.

While the foregoing description relates particu larly to packaging pies,it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the octagonalcollar with its horizontal bellows fold may be employed for protectivewrappers of many other articles. It is only necessary that the collar bedesigned so that it will telescopically engage the particular article tobe suspended therein.

In Fig. 5, there is shown a modified form of package which issubstantially similar to that illustrated in Fig. 4, with the exceptionthat the score lines extending lengthwise of the paper strip forming thecollar and the slits between said score lines are located nearer to oneedge of the strip to thus define a deeper or more shallow receptacle,dependent upon which is utilized as the upper or holding side. In thismodified form of wrapper or package, the commodity support is in theform of a flat disk M in lieu of the pie plate or receptacle illustratedin Figs. 1 and 2. In other respects the package of this modificationcorresponds to that hereinabove described. The plate support 14 may beutilized for supporting cakes, small articles or in some cases when thecommodity is of such character as to replace the plate the commodity orarticle itself may be substituted for the plate, thus utilizing thecollar for its protective suspending support.

In Figs. 6 and 7, there is illustrated a further modified form ofpackage arranged to receive substantially rectangular objects. Thesurrounding collar or band 4, in this instance, is provided withlongitudinal scorings and vertical slits adjacent the upper edge of thecollar, and the vertical scorings of the collar are spaced in suchmanner as to provide narrow panels H5 at the corners and end and sidepanels l6 and l! of diiferent length. The commodity receptacle l8comprises a substantially rectangular paper dish of conventional formprovided with an outwardly-extending peripheral flange at its upperportion. The supporting collar, as above described, is of greater heightthan the commodity carrier to be enclosed therein. With a commoditycarried by the dish, it may be covered with a protective sheet ofCellophane or the like and the rectangular collar in open condition maybe forced downwardly over the dish, contents and cover until theupwardly-extending peripheral flange of the dish engages within thebellows fold of the collar in the manner hereinabove described. In thisposition, the carrier and its contents will be in suspended relationshipto the protecting band so that in handling, the contents of the packagewill be protected as in the manner hereinabove set forth.

In the structures which have been described, it will be noted that thesurrounding band or collar member comprises merely a cardboard striphaving scoringsand short vertical slits which contributes to the art anextremely simple and effective structure for the purpose described. Theimproved wrapper is sanitary in every detail and effectively protectsthe enclosed commodity against contact with fingers and insures deliveryof products in uninjured or undamaged condition. The structure does notdepend upon special receptacles, plates or supports, nor does it dependupon interlocking supported members. In consequence, standardreceptacles may be employed. The octagonal shape and the relativelylarge clearances afforded .at the angular portions of the wrapper insureventilation and protect against rancidity. Assembly of the elementsforming the composite package is more easily affected and the variousforms of packages aflford an economical and commercially successfulpackage arrangement.

The commodity carriers in the form of discs, plates and dishes which arenormally employed are conventional paper stock structures havingyieldable perpiheral portions which cooperate with the yieldable anddeformable band to produce an easily assembled package. The yieldingfolded walls of the bellows portion of the band aifords a self-adjustingfeature conducive to close association with peripheral portions of thecarriers and the like.

The structures hereinabove described have been selected as illustratingcertain forms of the invention. It will be appreciated by those skilledin the art that the improved bellows type protective Wrapper can serveas protective enclosures for many articles. The annular or horizontalweakened area between the edges of the bands providing the bellows foldconstitutes an important contribution to the art, for it will be notedthat when the folds are made on the'score lines and the walls formingthe inner recesses are allowed to incline outwardly by reason of thevertical slits, there is presented a housing means for portions of theperipheries of carried articles and commodities which yieldingly engagesuch agencies in a uniformly firm manner. In consequence, the structureshereinabove described constitute a marked improvement over structureshaving straight walled bands which are slotted and thosewhich haveinturned edges. The bellows folds in the packaging of pies, inparticular, allows the inclusion within the. inner recesses of theperipheral flange of the plate and the conventional overlying crust withthe walls forming the recesses yieldingly engaging above and below theperipheral portions of the carrier and commodity. The result is a firmpacking and a uniform cooperation of the interengaging parts of thewrapper.

I claim:

1. In a protective wrapping for commodities, a plate-like member for thecommodity having a peripheral flange, an endless yieldable band p0-,lygonal in form and of a size to frictionally engage the peripheralflange of said member, said band being deformable from its normalpolygonal state to pass telescopically over the peripheral flange of theplate member to surround and sup port the same without deforming theperipheral flange, said band having in spaced relation to its marginaledges at least three spaced parallel longitudinally extending hingescore lines throughout its length and a plurality of spaced transverseslits therethrough between the outer score lines and transverse scoringsextending from the ends of the slits to the edges of the band, wh rebyper-- tions of the band between the slits and the outer longitudinalscore lines are outwardly deformable along outer and intermediate scorelines to define a series of substantially angular inner recesses withsubstantially straight yielding walls for receiving and engaging spacedportions of the peripheral flange of the plate member with a snap actionin the passage of the band thereover,

said band being collapsible to form the recessesv when telescopicallyapplied to said member by downward pressure, the engagement of theperipheral flange of the plate member with the cutwardly deformed wallsof the recesses allowing the band to return to substantially its normalpolygonal formwith the member yieldingly supported at spaced pointsbetween walls forming the recesses.

2. In a protective wrapping for commodities, an endless yieldable bandpolygonal in form and adapted to frictionally engage a peripheral flangeof a platelike member, said band being deformable from its normalpolygonal state to pass telescopicaly over the peripheral flange of theplate-like member to surround and support the same without deforming theperipheral flange, said band having in spaced relation to its marginaledges at least three spaced parallel longitudinally extending hingescore lines throughout its length and a plurality of spaced transverseslits therethrough between the outer score lines and transverse scoringsextending.

from the ends of the slits to the edges of the band, whereby portions ofthe hand between the slits and the outer longitudinal score lines areoutwardly deformable along outer and intermediate score lines to definea series of substantially angular inner recesses with substantiallystraight yielding walls for receiving and engaging spaced portions ofthe peripheral flange of the platelike member with a snap action inpassage of the band thereover, said band being collapsible to form therecesses when telescopically applied to the platelike member by downwardpressure, the engagement of the peripheral flange of the plate memberwith the outwardly deformed walls of the recesses allowing the band toreturn to substantially its normal polygonal form with the platelikemember yieldingly supported at spaced points between walls forming therecesses.

JONAS SCHUCHAT.

